And after a good start to 2002, which included a runners-up spot at the Australian Open and a semi-final at the French Open, his form tailed off.
Nadal recovered from that disappointment in spectacular style by going unbeaten through the clay-court season and winning the French Open, Wimbledon - beating Murray in the semi-finals - and a first US Open title to complete the Grand Slam set.
His career has continued on a steady upward curve in the intervening two years, with two quarter-final appearances at the US Open and a semi-final spot in Australia this year.
In the other half of the draw, Roger Federer will take on Novak Djokovic in a repeat of their US Open semi-final.
The modernist structure is built of concrete and glass, with an undulating copper roof that rises to an open semi-circle at its center.
Elena Dementieva gave Russia the lead and gained revenge for her US Open semi-final loss with a 7-6 (7-1) 2-6 6-1 victory over Mary Pierce.
In her first match since retiring in last month's Australian Open semi-final through injury, the top seed made 50 unforced errors in a 4-6 7-6 7-5 win.
World number two Djokovic has taken a narrow 410-point lead over Federer in the world rankings after the Swiss took time out in the wake of his defeat by Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals in September.
The 20-year-old reached the final of the Bangkok Open and the semi-final in Doha with his younger brother and says that Andy's success has inspired him to a career-high doubles ranking of 66.
And he made 78 unforced errors as he slipped to defeat against Juan Carlos Ferrero in the semi-finals of the French Open.
Srichaphan ripped 45 winners against his Russian opponent, who reached the semi-finals at the French Open and the last eight at the Australian Open.
Dementieva, 27, lost for just the second time in 2009, having won tournaments in Auckland and Sydney before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Dementieva, who began the year with back-to-back titles in Auckland and Sydney and then reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, blamed her hectic schedule so far for her lacklustre effort.
But if you hone in on only the parts of the survey which you perceive as critical, or if you spend your time trying to figure out who wrote that semi-negative comment in the open-ended section, you are missing the point.
Three time champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario dumped an error-prone Venus Williams out of the French Open to progress to the semi-finals.
Since winning his 16th Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, the Swiss has failed to win a title and saw his record run of 23 straight Grand Slam semi-finals end at the French Open.
However, Djokovic beat Federer in straight sets the last time they met at the Australian Open, in the semi-finals in 2008.
BBC: Novak Djokovic makes short work of Berdych in Melbourne
Outside court, Mrs Alper said a semi-permanent replacement for the barn would open next month and bookings for weddings had been taken.
Dechy, the world number 13 and semi-finalist in last month's Australian Open, lost 7-6 6-4 to Czech Klara Koukalova.
Having beaten Andy Murray en route to his first Grand Slam semi-final at this year's French Open and now overcome arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, the 6ft 5ins right-hander is building quite some reputation.
But he admitted the semi-final had been a struggle despite seeing his side open up an 18-0 lead after just nine minutes.
That was the year in which he became - as he remains - the youngest ever world ranking tournament semi-finalist and won that event, the Regal Welsh open, when he was 19.
The semi-final between Gustavo Kuerten and Michael Chang in the Montreal Open recently offered some hope for die-hard fans.
Martin reached two Grand Slam finals, at the Australian Open in 1994 and the US Open in 1999, as well as a Wimbledon semi-final in 1996 when he lost a 5-1 lead in the fifth set against Mal Washington.
With Liverpool toiling to a 0-0 draw against Fulham earlier in the day and Tottenham preoccupied with their FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth, the home side knew a win would open up a potentially decisive gap on their rivals for the final Champions League place, with some difficult fixtures lying in wait.
Williams admitted to being rusty after her return to the court in last week's Italian Open in Rome, where she went out in the semi-finals to Jelena Jankovic.
After dominating the first set, two stunning winners - a backhand down the line and crosscourt forehand winner - saw the two-time semi-finalist, whose only Grand Slam title came at the 2005 US Open, break to love to seal it and she opened the second with a confident hold.
But the 2008 French Open champion, who also beat Azarenka on her way to the semi-finals in Rome in May, fought back to set up a second-round clash with Yaroslava Shvedova.
BBC: Ana Ivanovic beats Victoria Azarenka at Cincinnati Open
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